Chapter 344: Uchiha Madara
Whoosh!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just as Gaara and Onoki approached Gengetsu Hozuki's sector, they heard a series of thunderous booms. Constant explosions rang out across the battlefield.
Getting closer, they saw a plump, small figure being relentlessly chased by Tonbo Tobitake. As the figure moved, the steam on its body mixed with oil; the heat caused it to ignite and explode.
However, "duds" occurred frequently. This was because the music in Tonbo's hands had not stopped for a single second, even while he was in motion. He kept the enemy's chakra in a perpetual state of imbalance.
"Konoha's Captain Tonbo is quite formidable!" Onoki remarked with admiration while watching the scene.
Soon, through the cooperation of the Alliance and Tonbo's exquisite Genjutsu, Gengetsu Hozuki was successfully sealed. The music that had resonated across the battlefield finally ceased.
"Yeah! All of them are sealed! Next up is the assault on the enemy's headquarters!" The Allied Shinobi Forces broke into cheers after the "Mustache" was neutralized. Dealing with several Kage-level enemies allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
Of course, they had three Kage-level fighters on their side as well, but one was too young and the other too old. The successful sealing brought much-needed comfort.
Tonbo Tobitake dispelled the summoning of the guitar. Poof!
He looked up at Gaara and Onoki in the sky. By now, Kabuto should be preparing to summon Uchiha Madara. However, after a long time, there was still no sign of him. As the army marched on, deep night began to settle over the world.
On the path from the Mountains' Graveyard toward Konoha.
Sasuke, holding the Kusanagi sword, used his Sharingan to extract intel from a White Zetsu, preparing to head for Konoha. At that moment, a figure passed by him.
A deep brown cloak, small braided hair, and those familiar eyes.
"Itachi..."
Sasuke's vision was sharp; his body froze for an instant before he whipped around and sprinted toward Itachi.
"Itachi! Why are you here?"
"Ah!"
"Oh no... there's a spy..."
"Something is wrong with the camp, everyone be careful!"
In the middle of the night, wounded ninjas who were still recovering suddenly let out screams of agony. By the time others arrived, they found only dead ninjas—specifically targeting the medical staff.
Across various battlefields, Naruto's figure was extremely active. He frequently appeared to provide powerful support.
Much like Naruto, who had his Malice Perception, Tonbo Tobitake had his own methods. He planted "emotional sensing" Genjutsu seeds across large swaths of the Allied Forces. Originally, this was a technique he used to sense a child's mood for educational purposes; now, he used it to detect White Zetsu.
The White Zetsu's Transformation Jutsu was truly unique. One could only distinguish them through behavior, not through chakra or physical appearance. It was the epitome of ninja deception.
"Thank goodness for Naruto and Tonbo... this Genjutsu is truly versatile."
Inside the Allied HQ, this wasn't the first time they had praised Tonbo. Every time he acted, he exceeded their expectations. He was like a bottomless pit; every so often, he would pull out an uncommon but perfectly countered ability.
With Shikaku as the lead strategist and the Raikage and Tsunade making decisions, they began a mop-up operation against the appearing Zetsu. However, despite this, the Alliance suffered heavy losses. Tonbo and Naruto's perception couldn't cover every single ninja and battlefield at all times; they could only sweep through them bit by bit.
"A bit longer and we'll reach the Mountains' Graveyard to strike at Uchiha Madara's lair. This war will be over soon."
In the desert, Gaara had been leading the army for a day or two. They were finally about to emerge from the dunes and head toward the enemy's base.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
Tonbo suddenly looked up. A mummified figure stood high atop a desert rock, standing with his arms crossed. He seemed to be waiting for them.
Uchiha Madara. Finally, I get to see the last of the 'Madmen of Uchiha'. Tonbo had beaten Shisui, beaten Itachi, and beaten Sasuke. Among the Uchiha, only Obito and Madara remained unbeaten. Obito was a former classmate, so Tonbo would give him some face and let him be the last one to be embarrassed.
A corner of Tonbo's mouth quirked up.
"Is there only one person? I'll take the lead, you two support me," Onoki said, looking at Mu. Only Particle Style could counter Particle Style.
"I'm afraid that won't work, old man Tsuchikage. Someone even more troublesome has appeared."
Tonbo pointed toward Mu's location. A coffin rose vertically out of the ground, and the lid was kicked open from the inside. A figure came into view.
Red armor, spiky hair. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan. In an instant, a powerful aura washed over them.
"That's... Uchiha Madara... How is that possible? Isn't he... It seems that masked man is just a fake." Onoki broke into a cold sweat. As the figure stepped slowly out of the coffin, looking down at the Alliance with disdain, Onoki's sense of foreboding grew stronger.
"Are you sure?" Gaara asked Onoki while looking at the man.
Onoki replied, "I could never forget. He is the real Uchiha Madara..." No one had a more vivid memory of that power than he did.
"Old man, it's just one Uchiha Madara, no need to worry. Even with Tsuchikage Mu, it's a three-on-two. We have the whole army behind us; no need to be breaking out in cold sweats," Tonbo teased calmly.
Onoki snapped, "You don't understand his terror! Only those who have truly faced his power can know how overwhelming it is." He remembered the fear of being dominated—that power against which resistance was futile. He took Tonbo's teasing with the utmost gravity.
Gaara turned to Motoi: "Motoi, notify HQ. The real Uchiha Madara has appeared in the Fourth Division battlefield. The masked man is an impostor. We need heavy reinforcements."
He then looked at Tonbo: "Captain Tonbo, can your main body come here? This is likely the enemy's ultimate trump card."
Gaara dared not be careless. Unlike Onoki, he hadn't seen Madara's power firsthand, but he had heard the legends. Suna's history recorded that Madara and Hashirama ended the chaotic era and created the village system.
The difficulty of such a feat was unimaginable. That was an era of chaos where more people died than in the First, Second, and Third Ninja Wars combined. Even their First Kazekage, Reto, had imitated them, using overwhelming ninjutsu to settle the internal strife of the Land of Wind.
In history, their First Kazekage was already that powerful. The power of Hashirama and Madara, who were even greater, was beyond comprehension. After all, neither Gaara nor the previous Kazekage possessed the kind of overwhelming ninjutsu needed to solve internal strife solely through power; they still required heavy political maneuvering to fix most problems.
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